Jack



N. c. SCHELLENGER JACK 2 Sheets-s 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1925 July 31, 1928.1,678,746

N. c. SCHELLENGER JACK Filed. Sept. 5, 1925 2 SheetsSheet 2 i 77 55Newfo fi C. jokeifenger Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEWTONC. SCHELLENGFR, ELKHART, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO TELEPHONESUPPLY 00., OF ELKHART, INDIANA, A CORIYORA'IION OF DELAWARE.

JACK.

Application filed September 5, 1925. serial No. 54,594.

The present invention relates to a novel form of jack for plugs of thetelephone type. The jack of myv invention isparticularly useful formaking connections wlth a telephone plug at some point remote from theapparatus to be connected. It especially lends itself to radio workWhere the receiving set is in one room and the loudspeaker in another.By means of an extension cord connecting the jack with the set, theaudlo frequency currents may be transmittedfrom the set to the jack ofmy invention, WlllCll is adapted to receive the plug of theloud speaker.However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited toradio work. It may be used in connection with any electrical apparatuswhere a jack con-.

nection with the apparatus is desired at some point away from theapparatus itself. It is also to be understood that' the invention is notlimited to separately housed Jacks, but may be applied to jacks adaptedfor panel or switchboard mounting.

Aside from its general utility as set forth above, my jack has certainnovel structural features which permit of compactness and manufacture ata low cost. One of these is to be found in the main frame for the) jack,the function of which is not only to serve as the frame for the jack,but also as a spring for holding the plug inserted into the jack firmlyagainst the contact parts. 'Another novel provision is the meansemployed for ma ing contact with the tip portion ofthe' ug. These andother novel features of the invention will be more fully .understoodfrom the detailed descriptions given thereof in the followingspecification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing a top plan View of a jack ofmy invention and taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig; 2 is also a longitudinal section taken 011 line 2-2 of Fig. 1 andbrings out the novel frame structure and the manner in which the contactspring of the jack engages with a telephone plug;

Fig. 3 is an end section taken on line 33 of Fig. '2, and illustratesthe manner of shaping the contact spring to prevent lateral movementthereof;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of another embodiment taken on line Hof Fig. 5

,be moulded, or it may be "is threaded to receive Fig. 5 is a top planview of the jack shown in Fig. 4;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are side views .of terminals showing several ways inwhich the ends of the frame and contact spring may be formed for holdingthe flexible cord member securely thereto; v 1

Figs. 6 7' and 8 are end views of the terminals shown in Figs. 6, 7 and8, respectively; and

Fig. -9 illustrates another embodiment of the invention which is adaptedfor panel mounting.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have designated the jack in its entirety by thenumeral 1. One end of the jack is adapted to receive a telephone plug 2of the usual type and the other end has an opening therein through whichthe flexible cord member 3 may be led for connection to the jack proper.

More specifically, the jack 1 comprises a sleeve or housing ofinsulating material 4,

which maybe of fiber, hard rubber, or of a material known and marketedunder the trade-name of Bakelite. The sleeve 4 may of insulating tubinghaving a plug with an aperture therein securely fitted into one of theopenends. The opening 5 in the sleeve 4, as stated above, permits theflexible cord member 3 to be led therethrough for contact with the frame6 and the contact spring 7;

The frame 6 comprises a leg portion 8 which is at substantially rightangles to the base portion 9-. The leg portion 8 is securely mounted onthe thimble 10, which is in turn secured in the plug member 11 by meansof a press fit. The inner end of the thimble 10 is beaded or rivetedover the base 8 of the frame 6. If desired the sleeve 10 may have ashoulder against the outside face of the disk or plug 11 to limit theinward movement of said sleeve. The frame 6 also has an oflset portion12 which serves as a mounting seat for the contact spring 7 a d as a,connector means for one of the flexib e cord members 3. The offset ofopenings, the front opening freely passing the bolt or screw 22.

terminal screw 14:

which serves as a meansfor holding one of z made'of a piece portion 12has a pair The other opening the cord members 3 in firm contact with theframe. The terminal portion 12 ina shaped as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8with a cupped depression to hold the conductor from being squeezed outfrom under the head of the screw 14.

to receive the screw 18, which serves to hold I the tip one of theflexible cord members 3 in firm, contact with the contact portion 17 ofthe spring 7. This terminal portion 17 may be formed with a depressionsuch as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 for restraining the outward squeezingof the cord 3 under the screw 18. Because of an opening 19 in theportion 15, of the plug 2 may have its groove portion firmly in contactwith one edge of the loop about the opening 19. However, contact betweenthe tip and the contact spring 7 may be secured in a various number ofother ways. For example, the portion may be V-shape so as to co-operatewith the groove in the plug tip.

The body portion 16 has an opening therein for an insulating washer 20.It is insulated from the frame 6 by means of an insulating plate orsheet 21 which extends throughout the length ofthe body portion 16 andoutwardly therefrom between the contact screws 14 and 18, and alsoextends laterally over the side edges of the central part of the frameas shown in Fig. 3. The contact spring 7 and the insulating member 21are mounted on the offset portion 12 of the frame 6 by means of thescrew 22. The

screw'22 threads into the nut 23 on the bottom side of the offsetportion 12 and is in- 'sulated from the contact spring 7 by means of aninsulating Washer 24.

I To prevent any pivotal or lateral movement of the insulating member 21and the contact spring 7 with respect to the frame member 6, I provide apair of lugs or flanges 25 on the insulating member and also a pair oflugs or flanges 26 on the body portion 16 of the contact spring. Thelugs 25 embrace the portion 12 of the frame 6 and not only preventlateral movement of the insulating member 21, but prevent contactbetween the portion 12 and the spring 7. The lugs 26 on spring 7 tightlyembrace the liigs of insulation 25 on plate 21 when the screw 22 is'drawn up; This construction prevents pivotal movement of the spring 7relative to the frame 6 when the plug 2 is brought into or out ofcontact with the portion 15.

Both the frame 6 and the contact spring I 7 are preferably made-of a'resilient or spring-like material such as brass or German silver. -Theframe 6 should be of resilient material so as to act in conjunction withthe s ring 7, to firmly hold it against the tip 0 the plug 2. This isquite contrary to the structure of ordinary jacks in which the frame isof a rigid construction, and is not adapted to act as a spring inholding the contact which engages with the tip in firm relation thereto.This structure not only aids in holding the spring 7 in firm contactwith the tip, but also secures firm contact between the sleeve of theplug 2 and the thimble 10 of the jack. 4

It will be noted that the thimble 10 serves not only as a guide for thesleeve of the plug 2, but also limits the travel of the plug 2 into thejack. While the t-himble 10 is shown in the drawings as having a length,it need not be so limited. It is obvious that it may be threaded toreceive a second thimble by means of which the distance between thetelephone plug and the plug 11 of the jack could be varied. Also, bythreading the outer circumference of the thimble 10, which lies outsideof the plug 11, the jack may be used for panel mounting. When so used itcould be held to the panel by means of an ordinary hexagon nut whichcould be threaded on that portion of the thimble 10 extending beyond theouter surface of the panel.

Likewise, the plug 11'as shown in the drawings has a threaded portionwhich is adaptedto engage with similar threads at one on of the sleeve4. However, this may also b modified, and the plug may be inserted intothe sleeve by means of a pressfit,

In a mounted jack for use on the end of a I cord, as shown in themodification of Fig. 1,

the sleeve 10 is desirable to permit the fingers of the operator toobtain a hold upon the corners ofthe plug and jack members to pull themapart. Due to the short length of the handles of the cult to secure agood hand hold upon their cylindrical surfaces to pull them apart, andthe present provision of the forwardly extending sleeve permits of apurchase upon the end surfaces.

In Figs. 4 and 5. I have shown a slightly different structure of theframe and the conplug and jack it is diflitact spring. In this case theframe 30 and the contact spring 31 are provided with suitable openings32 and 33, respectively, to permit the tip portion of the plug 34 tomake contact with the spring 31. The frame 30 is also mounted on thethi'mble 35 which is in turn securely fitted int-o an aperture providedfor in the plug 36. Engagement between the plug 36 and the sleeve 37 ishad by means of suitable threads at one end of the sleeve whichco-operate with similar threads on the plug- An insulating member 38separates the frame 30 from the contact spring 31. A screw 39, which isinsulated from the spring '31 by means of the insulating washspacedrelation relative each other.- A pair 4 of extension cord members 44 areled through an aperture 47 in the sleeve 37 and are secured to the frame30 and the contact spring 31 by means of the contact screws and 46,respectively. In this construction the plug tends to push thecontactspring away or spread it from the frame spring, whereas in theprevious construction the two springs are flexed toward each other.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 I show various ways in which the contact ends of theframe and contact spring which engage with the extension cords may beshaped in order to firmly secure the bare ends of the cords thereto.Fig. 6 shows a generally scoop-shaped indentation which may be made inthe end or terminal portions of thespring 51. When the head of thecontact screw is brought to bear on the endof a cord, it will force itinto this indentation and thus prevent thefine wires, which make up theflexible conductors of the cords, from being squeezed out. 'It will alsoinsure better contact with the frame and contact spring, since a greatersurface area-of the cords will come into contact with theircorresponding contact portions of the jack. In Fig. 7 the depression 52is cup shaped with a depressed channel 53 for the conductor leading outof the end of the depression. In Fig. 8 the cup shaped depression 54 iscompletely closed so that'thej cord coiled under the head of theterminal screw is held securely in the depression which is relativelysemi-spherical in form. Any one of the modifications shown in Figs. 6, 7or 8 may be used in preference to the flat contact portion for the cordsprovided on the contact spring and frame member, asshown in Figs. 1 to5, inclusive.

In Fig. 9, I illustrate another embodiment of my invention whichissuitable for panel mounting. In .this case the resilient frame or springmember comprises a leg 61, a spring seat 62, and a contact portion 63.The leg 61 is generally circular in shape and has-an aperture therein bymeans of which it is mounted on the sleeve 64. The sleeve 64 extendsthrough a suitable opening in the panel 65 and has its outercircumference threaded to receive a nut 66. A washer 67 is of athickness which'will permit the nut 66 to lie flush with the end ofthe-sleeve 64 when it is secured in the panel 65. I

To the bottom side of the seat 62 is secured the spring contact member68 by means of the screw 69 and its co-operating nut 70. This springconsists of the contact portion 71, which is adapted to engage with thegroove provided inthe tip or the plug .72, the seating port-ionhavinglugs 73 for reventing lateral movement, and the con uctor contactmember 74. .Screws 75 77 thread into the contact portions 63 and '74,

respectively, and serve to hold conductor members to the jack in firmcontact thereto. A sheet or plate'of insulating material 76 insulatesthe members 60 and 68 from each other. It is also provided with a pairof lugs (not shown) which embrace the spring seat 62 to prevent lateralmovement thereof relative the frame 60. The lugs of the insulatingmember are in turn embraced by the lugs 73 of the member 68, whichlikewise serve to prevent any lateral or pivotal movement of the springmember 68 relative the frame 60 when the jack is in use.

I do not intend to be limited to the details shown or described.

I claim:

'1. In combination, a sleeve, a plug in one end thereof, and a resilientframe mounted on said plu and within said sleeve.

2. In combination, a sleeve, a plug for one end thereof, a resilientframe mounted on said plug and within said sleeve, said frame having anoffset portion adapted for mounting a contact spring thereon. V 3. Incombination, a sleeve, a plug at one end thereof having an aperturetherein, a thimble fitted into said aperture, and a resilient framemounted on said thimble and within said sleeve.

4. In combination, a resilient frame member having an offset portion,insulating means mounted thereon, a contact spring on said insulatingmeans, said insulating means having a pair of lugs extending downwardlyfrom opposite sides thereof and over the edges of said frame, saidcontact spring having a pair of downwardly extending lugs -which fitover the lugs on said insulating' --means, the lugs on said insulatingmeans and said contact spring being adapted to preyent lateralmovementthereof relative said rame.

5. In combination, a resilient frame memher having a leg portion and a-mounting portion for a contact spring, a contact spring having acontact portion at one end adapted to contact with the tip portion of. atelephone plug, insulating means separating said frame from said contactspring, and means for securing said contact spring rigidly to said fram6. In combination, a sleeve having a plug at one end thereof, a thimblefitted 'intosaid plug and adapted to receive a telephone plug, aresilient frame member secured to said thimble, a contact spring mountedon said frame and insulated therefrom said frame member being adapted tohold said telephone plug in firm contact with said contact spring andsaid thimble.

" 7. In combination, a-sleeve of insulating material having an apertureat one end, a 'pair of flexible conductor members. extending throughsaid aperture, a. resilient frame member mounted within said sleeve, aspring contact, screws adapted for engagement with said contact springand said frame for holding said cord members thereto, and insulatingmeans for preventing contact between said spring contact member andframe and between the screws for securing the flexible cord membersthrough said contact spring and said frame.

8. In combination, a mounting member, 10 a sleeve mounted therein, aresilient frame secured tosaid sleeve, and a spring having a contactportion adapted to co-operate with I the tip of a plug mounted on saidframe and insulated therefrom;

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day ofSeptember, 1925.

NEWTON G. SCHELLENGER.

